I'M OFF TO SAN DIEGO first thing tomorrow morning for the annual Society of Biblical Literature conference. I'm presenting a paper on "Counterfactual History and Other New Methodologies." I'm not going to post a copy, since much of it recycles material that is about to be published. But you can get the idea of the issues I will be covering by reading this paper from a few years ago (yes, I know I'm getting a lot of mileage out of it) and this review of Maxine Grossman's monograph Reading for History in the Damascus Document. (The latter requires a paid personal or institutional subscription to Dead Sea Discoveries. Sorry.)

I expect to arrive in San Diego late on Thursday evening and will be staying at my mother's house until Friday afternoon and after the conference through Thanksgiving. I have to set up her new computer once I get there, and may not have the time or energy on Friday, so blogging may not resume until Friday evening or Saturday morning at the hotel (where I'll be staying through Tuesday morning).

Safe travel to all those heading out for the conference in the next couple of days.